S&W Trivia: For what it's worth, those of you that collect LEO guns, the 1st S&Ws bought by Law Enforcement may be 14 Model 2 Army models delivered to the Kingston Police Dep't ( Ontario, Cananda ) in 1865 and another 18 were delivered on Feb. 5, 1866 and 1 on Feb. 6, 1866. No markings on the guns, by S&W to show Police service. These were the first sidearms issued to the Force, due to fear of the Finian raids over the border. A partial list of serial numbers are 42979, 42984,42098,42292, 42375, 42593, 42840, 42855 and 42926. ( info from old files I am discarding ) Ed.

Not to pick to fine a nit, but that would be Fenian. Finian being a proper name.

Kevin

__________________
Unshared knowledge is wasted.

OK, two interesting things in this thread...to the OP, how did you come by this information and do you have more details to share - and/or pictures of one of the pistols?

To StrawHat, who or what is/are the Fenian?

Thanks.

Fenians were Irish trouble-makers. The U K "Special Branch" was originally the Special Irish Branch, intended to keep and eye on and otherwise "deal with" Irish trouble makers.

SPEEDGUNNER,

The Fenians were a group of Irish Patriots who came to the USA and formed a secret group of like minded individuals in the US with the sole purpose of furthering the Irish Cause.
In this country, one of the ways suggested to do that was to invade Canada and take over the government. Hence the arming of police in entry ports.

Kevin

__________________
Unshared knowledge is wasted.

In 1840 the Irish population was over 8 million while the rest of the uk was about 18 + million. By 1900 the Irish population had decreased to about 4 million while the rest of the uk was over 30 million. One cannot really say that English rule ( myself being Welsh ) really benifitted Ireland. In 1800 before the Irish Parliament was abolished in 1804, and their MP's sent to Westminster, Dublin was the second most prosperous city in the British Isles. The Irish Famine more than halved the population.
One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. You cannot blame the Fenians, who were ACW veterans, from attempting to free their country of origin.
Gwyn

Speedgunner, No photos. The info. came from a copy of a
brief article in a Canadian gun collector publication of about 40 yrs ago. The author lived in Kingston and had been researching old police files and came across the purchase records
and verified the info with Roy Jinks, he said. Ed.

Ed is a very modest man. Guys, we are in the presence of one of the most knowledgeable S&W collector/expert around. Ed never ceases to amaze me with his threads and posts and has an extensive collection of paper related to the history of the company.

I figured that somebody has to have one of these revolvers, so I immediately checked my Model 2 serial numbers, but no luck. Interesting that the Model 2 Project database has one of these revolvers and I bet the owner does not even know its history. (sn 42926)

__________________
Gary
SWCA 2515

If the person who researched this information claimed that he corresponded with Mr.Jinks? Perhaps the Historical Department has factory records that back up his research?

Also, most law enforcement side arms of the early era ( Pre- 1880) are marked in some way. This early period never were factory marked from all the Police issue guns that I have researched. ( Quite a few ) That Method of factory marking law enforcement weapons didn’t happen until the 1880’s at the earliest.

Most, if not all were marked by Distributors or the Department receiving the weapons again only during the earlier period of cartridge side arms. That’s why the early Guns are the most difficult to research! However, I honestly don’t know any details about Canada law enforcement issued weapons.

Murph

<quote>This early period never were factory marked from all the Police issue guns that I have researched. ( Quite a few ) That Method of factory marking law enforcement weapons didn’t happen until the 1880’s at the earliest. <quote>

While generally correct, there is one example of Factory Police Marking about a decade earlier (the 1870s) and it was a large bore S&W.

This was the special order of 32 First Model American's with 6 inch barrels in .44 American caliber. They were all marked on the backstrap "Nashville Police ##" with the numbers from 1 to 32. The first one was shipped on March 17, 1871 and the balance of 32 shipped on May 6, 1871. The engraving was done at the S&W factory with the guns costing $17 each with the day book recording "for engraving (no charge)".

There are several seminal examples set by S&W throughout arms history and this is one of those. One of these guns could still serve the Nashville Police today and do the job in a pinch if provided with ammo.

Lynn had planned to display most if not all the existing known surviving examples at NRA Nashville 2020. The attachment shows the police force which used them when new and examples of the engraving.

CB

Attached Images

	web-early-NPD-1870.jpg (40.5 KB, 57 views)
	NP18-Sjpg.jpg (93.2 KB, 9 views)
	NP21-S.jpg (129.5 KB, 9 views)
	NP22-S.jpg (140.3 KB, 9 views)

I should have learned by now never to say never.

Murph

I was sort of picking a nit, and Ed's data is valid also, but the Nashville Police is a a true turning point in Police arms, just like the S&W .22 cartridge and Model 1, First Issue represents a landmark development that has all the elements of a modern revolver.

Ditto that. Ed has forgotten more about Smith & Wesson than most of us will ever know.

And thanks for this, Ed. Do you mind me asking which Canadian magazine this article was in? I only have a few Canadian gun collecting magazines in my collection, but this is one I'd love to add.

As an aside ... many years ago I aspired to go to Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. It's a beautiful city (and a beautiful campus).

Mike

It's a shame that Canada now ignores it's history and has turned it's back on handgun owners or users. I planned a bear hunt/fishing trip there until I was told that I could not even possess a handgun on my trip. Alaska had no such prohibition so Canada did not get my money.

__________________
SWCA 3417 HF 642 NRA-TC

Canada has had strict regulations on handguns for many years; since the 1970's, if I recall correctly. And the carrying of a handgun is almost entirely prohibited, except for a few rare circumstances.

(I believe one of those circumstances is for people out in the wilds, but I don't know the specifics.)

Mike

First model, Sorry, I don't know the exact gun magazine the article was in. It was like a "letter to the editor" section of the magazine & I only Xeroxed that page to fille away the reference to the Model 2s being sent to a police dept. Ed

Ed is an amazing individual who’s knowledge is both wide and deep. He has fed my holster collection with both examples and literature over the years and that’s just an aside to him. You can take what he says to the bank.
Regards,
turnerriver

__________________
turnerriver

Gee, guys I guess I better find a pedestal somewhere and climb up on it ! I have been fortunate to have had a lot of mentors over the years, from Jim Servin, Bob Neal & others that stirred my interests and allowed me to enjoy this hobby of gun collecting. Turnerriver: The article on the Model 2s I referenced also had a footnote, as follows - " Robert Walker of Kingston was paid $19 to make 19 holsters for the Model 2 Armies." So, now your mission is to find an example and post photos hereon ! Good Luck, Ed

And posts 1 thru 18 are why I love it here.